Farmers in and around Coimbatore, a region prone to man-animal conflict due to its proximity to elephant corridor, are demanding market-rate compensation for crops and properties damaged in human-animal conflicts. Now, the State Government provides Rs. 25,000 per acre for crops and Rs. 500 per coconut tree, rates that are way below the market rates, they say.
This was among the major demands that arose during the meeting on man-animal conflict conducted here on Tuesday by the Forest Department.
District Collector Archana Patnaik, District Forest Officer M. Senthil Kumar, Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore Circle) I. Anwaruddin, K. Kalidas, Osai president, a non-governmental organisation, took part along with around 50 farmers.
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Among the other measures requested by farmers was plugging the gaps in the forest boundaries through which elephants venture into human habitations and declaring notified areas as ‘elephant corridors’ that are protected under Central Government provisions. Now Kallar is the only region to be notified as such.
A farmer said that while Tamil Nadu had 28,200 sq.km. of Western Ghats, the State Government had not taken any steps to review the recommendations of K. Kasturirangan panel or the Gadgil Commission on conservation of Western Ghats.
Another farmer urged the Forest Department officials to act against electrified fences, which he claimed were killing a lot of wild animals. Many farmers wanted an increase in anti-depredation squads, which drove back wild elephants that venture out of forests.
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Reacting to some of their complaints, the Forest Department officials assured them that a study would be taken up to tackle the crop destruction by peafowl.
They assured the farmers that their demands would be taken to the consideration of the State Government.